Columbus Arts Festival

Thursday

The Columbus Arts Festival starts tomorrow! It's the 50th edition of this great family event and well worth the trek into Downtown Columbus.

We've always enjoyed the fantastic array of hands-on arts activities for kids AND grownups. Here's just a sampling of the activities this year:

• Sculpt some paper. Local artist, Daniel Colvin, of Cobenick Studios will be on site to assist Festival-goers in sculpting paper flowers and tiles—and will demonstrate a paper-milling process.

• Birds on Paper. Explore your artistic side with the Columbus College of Art & Design where a line on the paper is just the beginning—who knows what it might turn into.

• Take a fresh look at art. Create an art apparatus with the Columbus Museum of Art. Materials will be provided for you to create an apparatus for you to experience art in a new way. When you're finished you'll have a tool for exploring art's amazing

• Make a balloon dino hat. COSI will guide kids through the old-school favorite trick of twisting balloons to make cute little dinosaur hats for children to take home.

• Have fun with clay. Artists Tara Carter and Adena Griffith will introduce you to the art of clay. Children will learn to create a clay structure on a pottery throwing wheel.

• Make a party hat. Join the Ohio Craft Museum in making animal-shaped party hat creations out of recycled materials.

The Hands on activities will take place Friday, June 3-Sunday, June 5, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., while the Festival itself is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4; 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 5.

For more information on the Columbus Arts Festival, call 614-224-2606 or visit www.ColumbusArtsFestival.org for a complete list of artists, entertainers, stage schedules, interactive arts activities and more.